Dam safety, risk assessment and governance: an Australian perspective

Abstract

This paper sets out an Australian perspective on dam safety management. Dam safety is regulated by the six states that, along with the two territories, are self-governing, sharing powers with the federal government. The dam safety record of incidents and failures is similar to other developed countries, and two failures have resulted in loss of life. Where states do regulate dam safety, the current emphasis is on risk management, as it is for other hazardous industries, and risk assessment is permitted. Risk assessment has been used extensively to manage the safety of large dams in both regulated and unregulated jurisdictions and there is now more than 20 years of practice in portfolio dam safety management. Dam owners have found that risk assessment supports the need for due diligence for public safety and facilitates rational decision making between business investment priorities. The process of working towards risks that are as low as reasonably practicable satisfies both statutory and common law obligations.